The Power of a Name
by D. M. Evans
Summary: If only he could tell Konzen how important the gift he gave him was  note, this is Gaiden fic


The Power of a Name

D M Evans

Disclaimer – not mine. All rights belong to Kazuya Minekura et al, no profit made, just a little fun

Time Line/Spoilers – Gaiden era, spoilers only for the first three

Pairings – none, Goku centric

Summary – If only he could tell Konzen how important the gift he gave him was

Author's Note – this was written for the ficvariation August challenge for the insane/sane prompt. Thanks to evillittledog for the beta.

He felt good, like the lifting of some darkness from his mind. Goku had tried to explain that good feeling to Konzen but finally his sunlight man hit him and told him to shut up and get some sleep. Goku wished it was that easy. He felt too excited.

"Goku," he whispered to himself, letting his tongue play with the sounds of his new name, a name all his own. How special was that? Goku, Goku, that had such a nice sound. He couldn't wait until he could tell Nataku his new name. He didn't mind that his new friend was a little rude – that was no worse than Konzen who yelled a lot. It was nice to have someone his age around and now he had a name to share.

Goku wished he could have told Konzen how much it hurt to tell Nataku that he didn't have a name, to see the strange look that flooded the boy's yellow eyes when he had said that. Somehow, Goku couldn't make the words come so he had just begged for his name and Konzen offered it like a gift. Now he was whole.

The boy hadn't realized just how much he had wanted a name. He hadn't really felt the lack until meeting Nataku and having nothing to give when asked. Goku might be young, but he understood he was different. He knew that the adults didn't trust him, didn't like him. Sometimes, he wasn't even sure if Konzen liked him since he was always so grumpy but he had to like him just a little. After all, Konzen let Goku keep his sleeping mat in his bedroom. Granted, he usually yelled for Goku to shut up every night but it meant something. He could have put Goku any where but Konzen chose to keep him close.

Hearing the man's soft snores, Goku tried to be as quiet as he could be as he snuck out of bed. He wasn't going far. He was just too excited to sleep. Goku leaned out the window and whispered his name to the moon. He wondered if it could hear him. It hung so big and fat against the spangled velvet of the night the boy thought he could jump up and hug it. Well, maybe he could if not for the heavy shackles he wore.

Not for the first time, Goku tugged on one of his chains. They made him crazy. Goku snared the cold hard link with his teeth, his tongue recoiling away from the metallic taste. He knew he couldn't chew through them but he could try one more time. Maybe he'd get lucky…or not. With a sigh, the boy let the link fall free of his mouth. The shackles made him a little nuts sometimes. Heavy, painful, Goku hated them but what he hated the most, what hurt the most was he didn't know why he was forced to wear them. Everyone around him seemed to see them as a punishment but Goku couldn't understand what he was being punished for. Maybe Konzen could tell him. He would have to ask the next time the man was in a good mood.

Goku smiled as a night bird in the tree outside Konzen's window twittered at him. He reached out to the bird, his shackles rattling softly. The bird cocked its head and ruffled its feathers as if readying to fly away. "I'm Goku," he told the bird.

"The bird doesn't care." Konzen hauled Goku back inside, straining to budge the boy's shackle-induced weight. "And you're driving me insane with the chain rattling. Go. To. Bed."

"Awww."

"No aww's. Bed." Konzen shooed him into it, flipping the covers back for the boy.

Goku crawled onto his mat and curled around the stuffed bunny Kannon had given him. He looked up at Konzen as the blond tucked him back in. "I love my name."

Konzen favored him with a rare smile, warm as summer sun. "I'm glad." When Goku opened his mouth to add to it, Konzen's eyes slotted. "Now go to sleep."

Goku quieted but he didn't sleep. He lay awake for hours thinking about everyone he was going to tell his name to.


End file.
